The basic model from the Fitbit line of activity trackers. Zip is also the only activity tracker to use a coin battery that is supposed to last four to six months. No charging required! It comes in a myriad of bright colours, magenta, charcoal, blue, lime and white. In my opinion, the absence of the extras is exactly what makes the Zip the best bang for your buck tracker from Fitbit.

The Fitbit Zip easily clips onto your clothing, but for added security during workouts, you can use bit straps to ensure it stays in place.

ACCURACY

The Fitbit Zip i had was worn on the hip and put through three simple tests i devised.  I would walk, jog and run on the treadmill for 5 minutes at each speed; most people i know of would engage in either of these actions throughout a day or fit somewhere in between. Actual steps were recorded with a pace counter.  And the results.

The Fitbit Zip i had performed exceedingly well. In my opinion, the most important aspect of an activity tracker is its accuracy to track steps minimally. It’s something i can justify, count, tally, measure. Call it what you want but you know what i mean. If the tracker can capture the data with at least 95% accuracy, i’m sold. Anything the tracker claims to track beyond steps is a bonus. 

HOW’S IT LOOK?

Cutesy. Can’t find a better word than that. Doesn’t help that there’s always a smiley face sticking out a tongue at you. Plastic exterior unlike the more premium Fitbit One. The back of the Zip has a groove which can be opened with a coin if you lose the customised “screw”. Pop the coin battery in and you’re good to go for four to six months. Clips firmly to your clothes. It’s sweat and splash proof so go ahead and take it out for that long hard run you’re thinking of and clock 10000 steps along the way 🙂

DATA PRESENTATION (Near Identical for Fitbit tracker series)

 

The Fitbit app interface is identical across the various platforms.The app screen can be customised to display stats which the user is interested only. For starters, the available stats to be displayed include steps, calories, distance, active minutes, water consumed, food log and weight.

 Challenges with friends

 

The challenges option was added on October 2014 and provides a new feature that allows the user to individually challenge members on their friend’s list. A total of 4 challenge types are available.

Fitbit In-app MapMyRun feature

The Mapmyrun in-app feature allows the user to track exercise (walk, hike, run) using the phone’s GPS. The Fitbit Surge is the only Fitbit tracker with built-in GPS and can track routes without requiring a smartphone to be close.

The key feature and probably what makes the Fitbit platform so easy to use , in my opinion, is the addition of friends and viewing their progress. You can also text, cheer or taunt your friends to encourage them to move a little more.

FUNCTIONS

There are no vibration alerts, sleep tracking, floors climbed, activity tracking. But the Zip tracks steps, activities and it does that well. Throw in a Bluetooth 4.0 syncing to select iOS and Android devices, informative data that’s presented in app and web. You pretty much got yourself a winner at the recommended retail price of $59.95.

ANYTHING ELSE?

The Fitbit Zip works on a coin battery. Advertised lifespan is four to six months. I’ve had the unit for a month and so far so good. Like the Fitbit One, you’ll get a weekly summary report to your registered email account and you can and access your web account for more information on what you’ve been up to physically.

IN A NUTSHELL

Pros:

• Accurate.
• Good battery life, no charging required. (Advertised to last up to six months on a single user-replaceable battery)
• Friend functions (Messages, cheers, taunts, rankings).
• Splash and sweat proof.
• Syncs wirelessly via bluetooth 4.0 on select smartphones.
• Weekly report and recognition badges.
• Cheapest of all activity trackers in the Fitbit line.
• Support for iOS, Android and Windows (select devices)

Cons:

• No sleep, stairs tracking functions
• No silent alarm and vibration functions.
• No times activity tracking fucntion.
• Syncs with select smartphones only.

The Fitbit Zip is the most competitively priced fitness tracker that still allows you full access to the Fitbit app and website; that’s about 16 cents a day spread over a year. In return, you lose out on other tracked stats, like stairs, elevation, sleep patterns, compared to fellow products from the same company. It’s really dependent on the your needs.

Did i mention that you get to see different smileys when you hit your target steps for the day? Try it. 🙂 😛

Listed price: $59.95

Colours: Magenta, Charcoal, Blue, Lime and White. Check out Fitbit device compatibility here.

You might be interested in other fitness trackers:

• Fitbit Charge review
• Withings Pulse review
• Misfit Shine review
• Geopalz ibitz review
• Fitbit One review
• Fitbit Flex review
• Runtastic Orbit review (HR reading-chest strap)
• Lumo Lift review